In-line skating has exploded in popularity over the last several years. Indeed, in-line skates have replaced roller skates in popularity. One of the reasons for the surge in popularity of in-line skating may be due to the wide variety of equipment available and the lack of a requirement that in-line skating be performed in any particular place. That is, unlike ice skating which requires an individual to go to an ice rink, or roller skating which has traditionally be enjoyed in roller skating rinks, in-line skates are specifically manufactured for use in the outdoors, provided there is a suitable hard surface to skate on. Furthermore, due to the relatively low cost of beginning participation in the sport--which typically requires the purchase of the skates and optional padding for elbows, knees and wrists--in-line skating is economically feasible for most people. As in-line skating has developed, several problems have arisen.
In particular, novice in-line skaters often time have difficulty braking or otherwise slowing themselves down after building up speed. One of the difficulties with braking in in-line skates is the requirements that pressure be placed on a brake pad located substantially rearward of the heel of the wearer. Many skaters have complained that the application of pressure in a downward fashion at the heel by raising the toe is an unnatural motion which requires coordination. Many skaters often time lose balance and fall when attempting to brake in this fashion. To solve the problem with braking in in-line skates, numerous individuals have attempted to offer different braking solutions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,367 to Landis which issued on Jun. 14, 1994, disclosed a braking apparatus which utilizes a hand-held brake control for causing the application of rubber brake pads to the wheels of the in-line skate to slow the wearer down. In addition, major in-line skate manufacturers such as Rollerblade have proposed alternative braking mechanisms to assist the wearer in the braking operation.
After the wearer has stopped, however, the wearer must still be able to maneuver on the in-line skates. This has lead to another problem in that once an in-line skater has stopped, in order to move in any direction, the wearer of the skates must roll to the next location. This can often make it quite awkward for a novice in-line skater to, for example, stop at an outdoor snack bar to have lunch. After ordering the food from the window, the skater must carry the food from the window to, for example, a nearby table. The act of carrying the food from the window to the nearby table can represent a terrifying journey for a novice in-line skater. Indeed, the inventor of the instant application had food splattered on him because his mother was unable to stop on her in-line skates while she was carrying food from an outdoor snack bar to the table.
In addition to the above-described '367 patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,345 to Ben-Dor et al. provides a friction plate for the wearer of the skate to drag along the ground to stop the movement of the skate. U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,353 to D. M. Weitzner discloses a pair of retractable roller and ice skates for shoes. As seen in FIGS. 10 and 13 of the '353 patent, the shoe can be taken apart so that a plate 50 is removed from its channel, inverted, and then reinserted into the channel 40 above the roller assemblies. The plate is thus stored out of the way in the channel and at the same time serves as a spacer and bearing member holding the roller assembly 70 in a stable position in the sole of the shoe, thus enabling the shoe to serve as a roller skate. While the device enables a shoe to be worn as a roller skate, it requires the shoe to be disassembled and reassembled prior to wearing the roller portion of the shoe.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,842 to Texidor discloses an athletic shoe exerciser which retains rollers when they are not being used in a lower portion of the exerciser. Specifically, as seen in FIG. 2, the roller skates are folded up into the base 14 of the shoe when not in use. Other modifications are sports shoes are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,295 to Schaefer discloses a convertible sports shoe which may be converted from a roller skate to an ice skate. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,852 discloses roller skates which can be removed from the bottom of the shoe 20. U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,718 to Gertler discloses a foot transport device which can be fastened to a standard walking shoe. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,122 discloses a combination roller skate and ice skate which includes a boot which can have a roller portion or an ice skate portion attached thereto.
The inventor has found a need for a conversion apparatus which would enable the wearer of standard in-line skates to walk on the skates without activating the wheels thereof. Furthermore, such a device would have to be cost effective, rugged and simple to use while not requiring the wearer to take the skates off their feet. Furthermore, such a device must be usable with a wide variety of in-line skates, including in-line skates having 3, 4 or more wheels. The device must be aerodynamically acceptable to advanced in-line skaters as well as practical for novices to utilize.